UK Parliament home

Closed By-elections to be called automatically when MPs defect to another party

Closed on

When an MP decides they want to defect to another party a by-election should be automatically triggered to allow the constituents the opportunity have their democratic right to agree or not with their elected official.

Regardless of political views I believe you vote for both the individual candidates and their stance on issues and the more general direction and policies of the party they stand for. When an MP decides that they no longer wish to be a member of the party they stood for when you voted for them the electorate should have the opportunity to also change their mind by voting in a by-election.

129,335 signatures

Show on a map

100,000

Petition progress

View all updates for this petition, with the most recent first.

  • Petition closed

  • Government responded to this petition

    There are no plans to make changes to the current constitutional arrangements, whereby voters elect individual candidates, and not the political party they represent.

    Read the response in full

    It is an established constitutional principle that at UK General Elections, voters cast their vote for individual candidates, and not the political party they represent.

    When a Member of Parliament (MP) decides to change their party affiliation, it is for the MP to decide whether to continue to sit in the House of Commons (as a representative of their new political party or as an independent MP) or to stand down from their seat to trigger a by-election and, if they wish, seek re-election.

    There are no plans to make changes to the current arrangements.

    Cabinet Office

  • Parliament will debate this petition on 16 March 2026

    You’ll be able to watch online on the UK Parliament YouTube channel.

  • This petition will be considered for debate in Parliament

    This petition got more than 100,000 signatures meaning the Petitions Committee will consider it for debate in Parliament.

  • Government will respond to this petition

    This petition got more than 10,000 signatures meaning that government will respond to it.

  • Petition published

    This petition can now be signed.

    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 4 March 2026.